英文小說:醋溜先生和他的財富(1)大綱

Mr. Vinegar and His Fortune

A long time ago, there lived a poor man whose real name has been forgotten. He was little and old and his face was wrinkled, and that was why his friends called him Mr. Vinegar. His wife was also little and old, and they lived in a little old cottage at the back of a little old field.

"John," said Mrs. Vinegar, "you must go to town and buy a cow. I will milk her and churn（攪拌）butter and we shall never want for anything."

"That is a good plan," said Mr. Vinegar, so he started off to town while his wife waited by the roadside.

Mr. Vinegar walked up and down the street of the town looking for a cow. After a time, a farmer came that way, leading one that was very pretty and fat.

"Oh, if I only had that cow," said Mr. Vinegar, "I would be the happiest man in the world!"

"She's a very good cow," said the farmer.

"Well," said Mr. Vinegar, "I'll give you these 50 gold pieces for her."

The farmer smiled and held out his hand for the money, "You may have her," he said, "I always like to oblige（施恩惠）, my friends!"

Mr. Vinegar took hold of the cow's halter and led her up and down the street. "I am the luckiest man in the world," he said, "for only see how all the people are looking at me and my cow!"

But at one end of the street, he met a man playing bagpipes（風笛）. He stopped and listened -- Tweedle Dee Tweedle Dee.

"Oh, that is the sweetest music I ever heard," he said, "and just see how all the children crowd around the man and give him pennies! If I only had those bagpipes, I would be the happiest man in the world!!"

"I'll sell them to you," said the piper.

"Will you? Well then, since I have no money, I will give you this cow for them."

"You may have them," answered the piper, "I always like to oblige a friend."

Mr. Vinegar took the bagpipes and the piper led the cow away.

"Now we will have some music," said Mr. Vinegar, but try as hard as he might, he could not play a tune. He could get nothing out of the bagpipes but "squeak, squeak". The children instead of giving him pennies laughed at him.

The day was chilly and in trying to play the pipes, his fingers grew very cold. He wished he had kept the cow.

He just started for home when he met a man who had warm gloves on his hands. "Oh, if I only had those pretty gloves," he said, "I would be the happiest man in the world."

"How much will you give for them?" asked the man.

"Oh, I have no money, but I will give you these bagpipes," answered Mr. Vinegar.

"Well," said the man, "you may have them for I always like to oblige a friend."


很久以前，有一個窮人，他的原名叫什麼已經不記得了。他個頭很矮，臉上皺皺巴巴的，所以朋友們管他叫醋溜先生。他的太太也是又矮又老，他們住在一塊小荒田後邊的小屋裏。

“約翰，”醋溜太太說道，“你到城裏去買一頭奶牛吧。我用擠出的牛奶做黃油，以後我們就衣食不愁了。”

“好主意，”醋溜先生說，於是他出發進城，他的太太在路邊等候他。

醋溜先生在城裏走啊走，四處找牛。過了一會兒，一個農夫拉着一頭非常漂亮而肥壯的奶牛走了過來。

“哦，如果那頭牛是我的，我就是世界上最幸福的人了！”

“這可是頭很好的牛，”農夫說。

“啊，”醋溜先生說，“我出五十塊金幣的價買它。”

農夫微笑着伸手接錢，“你把它帶走吧，”他說，“我就喜歡成人之美，朋友！”

醋溜先生抓住牛繩，拉着它在街上走啊走。“我是全世界最幸運的人了，”他說，“瞧瞧大家看着我和牛的眼神！”

可是在街的另一頭，他見到一個吹風笛的人。他停下腳步聆聽，笛聲曼妙。

“哦，這是我聽過的最動聽的音樂了，”他說，“瞧瞧有這麼多孩子圍着那人，塞錢給他！如果我有風笛的話，就是世界上最幸福的人了！！”

“我可以賣給你呀，”風笛手說道。

“是嗎？可是我沒有錢了，我拿這頭牛和你換吧。”

“拿去吧，”風笛手答道，“我最喜歡成人之美了。”

於是醋溜先生拿過了風笛，風笛手牽走了奶牛。

“現在我們可有音樂聽了，”醋溜先生說，但是他花了老大的勁，還是吹不出什麼調來。風笛只發出吱吱的怪聲。孩子們非但沒給他錢，還對他百般嘲笑。

天冷極了，爲了吹風笛，醋溜先生的手指都凍僵了。他真希望自己沒把牛給換走。

他開始往家走的時候，遇到一個人，那人戴着暖暖的手套。“哦，如果那副漂亮手套是我的，”他說，“那我就是世界上最幸福的人了。”

“你出多少錢買？”那人問道。

“噢，我沒錢了，可我用風笛和你換吧，”醋溜先生答道。

“這樣的話，”那人說，“你就拿去吧，我就喜歡成人之美。”